Homemade Electrolyte Drinks
Save money and packaging with these DIY sports drink options
Image: Wonderisland, Adobe Stock
Endurance athletes and high alpine athletes swear by electrolyte drinks to keep them feeling and performing well. However, these drinks can be really pricy and might not be made in the most eco-friendly production environment. The good news is that electrolytes are widely available in nature, and it is very simple to make your own electrolyte drinks at home.
What are electrolytes?
Electrolytes are minerals that are essential for bodily functions such as hydration, fluid retention, and muscle contractions. Electrolytes include sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, bicarbonate, chloride, and phosphorous. Athletes usually focus on replenishing sodium, potassium and magnesium, and calcium.
Why do athletes need electrolytes?
Athletes sweat; when you lose sweat, you lose water, sodium, and potassium. Electrolyte drinks can help replenish these important nutrients. However, most RDs only recommend electrolyte use for exercise over at least an hour, in a hot climate, or for people who sweat heavily (but always check with your own nutritionist for personalized recommendations). A lot of electrolyte drinks also contain a fair amount of sugar, which for athletes can be a fast source of carbohydrates for endurance and replenishing glycogen stores.
Can you make your own electrolyte drinks?
Yes! Absolutely. Electrolyte drinks are super simple to make with ingredients such as filtered water, salt, natural sugars and fresh fruit. There are a lot of benefits to making your own sports drinks at home. For starters, you can control sugar and sodium content at home based on your needs. Other benefits of making your own electrolyte drinks are saving money (packaged electrolytes can be pricy) and decreasing sustainability considerations such as packaging and resource use for manufacturing.
The Best DIY Electrolyte Drink Recipes
Here are 5 links to delicious, easy to make electrolyte drink recipes made by registered dietitians and nutritionists
A no-frills Citrus Electrolyte Drink from the Migraine Dietitian.
Four different DIY sports drinks, including a Tart Cherry Sports Drink and a Pina Colada Sports Drink (yum!) compiled by faculty at The University of Arizona.
Simple orange-juice-based electrolyte drink (oranges are high in potassium!) from Nancy Clark MS RD via Kansas State University.
Homemade strawberry lemonade electrolyte drink recipe from the Illinois Cancer Care Center.
Pomegranate Ginger Sports Drink recipe from Kelly Jones Performance Nutrition.
For athletes who want more cost-effective, customized and sustainable options for sports drinks, a DIY electrolyte drink is the way to go.
